Rev 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
The woman Is among the first symbolic representations of the nation of Israel found in the book of genesis in Joseph’s dream secondly the woman represents the true Church of the Christ even if there are some confused and confusing opinions regarding that in other parts of the last book of the holy Bible the pure church is portrayed as a woman (Rev 19:7; 21:9) and so it is here.
The woman Is also looked at as a representation of the church by many of the renowned scholars of old, however, we must not lose sight of the fact that Israel remains the center of focus in light of when the Book of Revelation, also called the apocalypse, was written and while looking at the woman as being the Christian Church is not wrong but we must not automatically dismiss the Jewish part as some tend to.
Therefore, first we’ll start with some trustworthy scholars of the past and learn, or relearn, some history. We have unfortunately forgotten and/or dismissed a lot of history.
Revelation 12:1-5
And there appeared a woman clothed with the sun — “It was a well-known custom,” says Lowman, “at the time of this prophecy, to represent the several virtues, and public societies, by the figure of a woman in some peculiar dress, many of which are to be seen in the Roman coins; in particular, Salus, the emblem of security and protection, is represented as a woman standing upon a globe, to represent the safety and security of the world under the emperor’s care. The consecration of the Roman emperors is expressed in their coins by a moon and stars, as in two of Faustina, to express a degree of glory superior to any on earth. Never was any image more expressive of honour and dignity than this in the vision: to stand in the midst of a glory made by the beams of the sun; and upon the moon, as above the low condition of this sublunary world; to wear a crown set with the stars of heaven, as jewels, is something more sublime than any thing whereby antiquity has represented their societies, their virtues, or their deities.” Bishop Newton explains this, and the five following verses, as follows: “St. John resumes his subject from the beginning, and represents the church (Rev_12:1-2) as a woman, and a mother bearing children unto Christ. She is clothed with the sun, invested with the rays of Jesus Christ, the Sun of righteousness; having the moon — The Jewish new moons and festivals, as well as all sublunary things; under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars — An emblem of her being under the light and guidance of the twelve apostles. And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered — St. Paul hath made use of the same metaphor, and applied it to his preaching and propagating of the gospel, in the midst of tribulation and persecution, Gal_4:19. But the words of St. John are much stronger, and more emphatically express the pangs and struggles which the church endured from the first publication of the gospel to the time of Constantine the Great, when she was in some measure eased of her pains, and brought forth a deliverer. At the same time, there appeared a great red dragon — Which is the well-known sign or symbol of the devil and Satan, and of his agents and instruments. We find the kings and people of Egypt, who were the great persecutors of the primitive church of Israel, distinguished by this title in Psa_74:13; Isa_51:9; Eze_29:3; and with as much reason and propriety may the people and emperors of Rome, who were the great persecutors of the primitive church of Christ, be called by the same name, as they were actuated by the same principle. For that the Roman empire was here figured, the characters and attributes of the dragon plainly evince. He is a great red dragon; and purple or scarlet was the distinguishing colour of the Roman emperors, consuls, and generals; as it hath been since of the popes and cardinals. His seven heads, as the angel afterward (Rev_17:9-10) explains the vision, allude to the seven mountains upon which Rome was built, and to the seven forms of government which successively prevailed there. His ten horns typify the ten kingdoms into which the Roman empire was divided; and the seven crowns upon his heads denote, that at this time the imperial power was in Rome, the ‘high city, seated on seven hills, which presides over the whole world,’ as Propertius describes it, book 3. His tail also (Rev_12:4) drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth — That is, he subjected the third part of the princes and potentates of the earth; and the Roman empire, as we have seen before, is represented as the third part of the world. He stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born — And the Roman emperors and magistrates kept a jealous, watchful eye, over the Christians from the beginning. As Pharaoh laid snares for the male children of the Hebrews, and Herod for the infant Christ, the son of Mary; so did the Roman dragon for the mystic Christ, the son of the church, that he might destroy him even in his infancy. But notwithstanding the jealousy of the Romans, the gospel was widely diffused and propagated, and the church brought many children unto Christ; and, in time, such as were promoted to the empire. She brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, Rev_12:5 — It was predicted that Christ should rule over the nations, Psa_2:9; but Christ, who is himself invisible in the heavens, ruleth visibly in Christian magistrates, princes, and emperors. It was therefore promised before, to Christians in general, (Rev_2:26-27,) He that overcometh, and keepeth my words unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations, &c. But it should seem that Constantine was here particularly intended, for whose life the dragon Galerius laid many snares, but he providentially escaped them all; and notwithstanding all opposition, was caught up unto the throne of God — Was not only secured by the divine protection, but was advanced to the imperial throne, called the throne of God; for, (Rom_13:1,) there is no power but of God, &c. He too ruled all nations with a rod of iron; for he had not only the Romans, who before had persecuted the church, under his dominion, but also subdued the Scythians, Sarmatians, and other barbarous nations, who had never before been subject to the Roman empire; and, as Spanheim informs us, there are still extant medals and coins of his with these inscriptions: The subduer of the barbarous nations; the conqueror of all nations; everywhere a conqueror; and the like. What is added, Rev_12:6, of the woman’s fleeing into the wilderness for a thousand two hundred and threescore days, is said by way of prolepsis or anticipation. For the war in heaven between Michael and the dragon, and other subsequent events, were prior, in order of time, to the flight of the woman into the wilderness; but before the prophet passes on to a new subject, he gives a general account of what happened to the woman afterward, and enters more into the particulars in their proper place. – Joseph Benson

3. This woman is magnificently arrayed. Of course, no mere creature, or any number of creatures, can be literally dressed with the sun. It is, of course, only a pictorial representation, which is to be figuratively understood. To be clothed with it, one would needs be clothed with light. And so it is with the Church and the people of God. Jesus says, they are “the children of light” (Luk_16:8). It is the office and end of all God’s merciful appointments “to turn men from darkness to light” (Act_26:18). The Church has ever been an illuminated body. Its children are not of darkness, but of the day. While others grope in darkness the Christ followers are arrayed in light. The sun is at the same time the great light giver. It radiates brightness as well as possesses it. And to be clothed with the sun, one must necessarily be a glorious dispenser of illumination. And such is the Church. Its members and ministers have been the brightest lights of the ages. It is constituted and ordained for the teaching of the nations, and the bearing of the light of heaven to the benighted souls of men. The sun is likewise an orb of great excellence and purity. Nothing can diminish its glory, or taint its rays. To be clothed with it is to be clothed with unsullied excellency. And so it is with the Church. It may have shabby members, but they are not really of it. Light is the garment of God. It is the symbol of His own nature. And as all true people of His are “partakers of the Divine nature,” being begotten unto Him from above, they enter also into the same clothing. The Church is robed with the Son.
4. This woman is victorious in her position. She has “the moon under her feet.” As the sun is the king of day, so the moon is the empress of night, and is a fit picture of the kingdom of darkness. And as to be clothed with the sun is to be “light in the Lord,” so to tread the moon under foot is the image of victory over the powers of darkness, whether of nature, or aught else. And this is a blessed characteristic and honour of the Church. All her true members are conquerors. They have subdued their prejudices, and brought their bodies and passions under the sway of another and better dominion and discipline. The moon is under their feet. And the same is equally true of the Church as a body. She is the hero of battles and victories. Kings have combined to exterminate her, tyrants haw oppressed her, children have betrayed her, friends have deserted her, but still she has lived on. The moon is under her feet. And when we properly consider that illustration we begin to truly understand the hatred the children of darkness, the anti-God people, have for the Children of Light, even if they themselves do not. The Red Dragon is the moon in this vision.

There are some people who have purposely hidden and or perverted some of the actual. historical facts. yes some have tried to rewrite history to support their dark agenda with the 1619 project people being among the most recent examples and their intention is to obfuscate facts and sow divisions. The scholar Joseph Benson is not one of those. He gives us some valuable information on a near term prophecy fulfillment, whereas we are likely to see the actual long term prophecy fulfilled rather soon.
Revelation 12:1
There appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun – That the woman here represents the true Church of the Christ most commentators are agreed. In other parts of the Apocalypse, the pure Church of the Christ is evidently portrayed by a woman. In Rev_19:7, a great multitude are represented as saying, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his Wife hath made herself ready.” In Rev_21:9, an angel talks with St. John, saying, “Come hither, I will show thee the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” That the Christian Church is meant will appear also from her being clothed with the sun, a striking emblem of Jesus Christ, the Sun of righteousness, the light and glory of the Church; for the countenance of the Son of God is as the sun shineth in his strength. – Adam Clarke
The moon under her feet – Bishop Newton, 1704-1782 understands this of the Jewish typical worship and indeed the Mosaic system of rites and ceremonies as it was the shadow of better things to come. Indeed, many scholars of the past have understood the passage in that manner. The whole Jewish system of types and shadows has been superseded by the birth, life, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession of Jesus Christ but that does not mean that the Jews have been rejected – oh no, the Scripture makes it very clear that the problem is that most of them have rejected their Messiah. That happens to be the same, condemned, boat non-jewish rejectors of Jesus as Savior and Light of the world are in. Those who have embraced Jesus of Nazareth as “The Way, the Truth, and the Life” are not just biological Jews, they are Jews indeed. And all genuine followers of the Christ are the bride.
Upon the head of the woman is: –
A crown of twelve stars – A very significant representation of the twelve apostles, who were the first representatives of the Christ to the Jewish tribes and the world. By them the Gospel of Jesus the Christ was preached in a great part of the Roman empire with astonishing success. “They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the Stars for ever and ever.” Dan_12:3.
Revelation 12:1-2
A great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun.

The sun-clothed woman